2013 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

Development of efficient gene markers that can be used to improve the fat deposition traits in pigs.

Research Project

Project/Area Number	23580393
Research Category	Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
Allocation Type	Multi-year Fund
Section	一般
Research Field	Applied animal science
Research Institution	Azabu University
Principal Investigator	TANAKA Kazuaki 麻布大学, 獣医学部, 准教授 (50345873)
Project Period (FY)	2011 – 2013
Keywords	ブタ / 改良 / 遺伝子マーカー / 脂肪蓄積 / グレリン / グレリン受容体 / レプチン受容体 / Gタンパク質共役型受容体120
Research Abstract	In the present study, we analyzed sequence variations in pig homolog of candidate genes for human obesity in order to develop efficient gene markers that can be used to improve the fat deposition traits in pigs. The preproghrelin (GHRL), growth hormone secretagogue receptor (GHSR), leptin receptor (LEPR), and G-protein coupled receptor 120 (GPR120) genes were selected to study. The c.335C>A polymorphism in GHRL gene was not associated with intra-muscular fat and back fat thickness. However, previously reported c.2002C>T (now c.1987C>T) polymorphism in LEPR was significantly associated with back fat thickness in our study population, and thus, we confirmed that this polymorphism could be an effective gene marker. Furthermore, we have succeeded in developing a simple genotyping method for this polymorphism.